Kit Log #024: Instruction outline for trio of kits and the need to automate this
This kit log the instruction outline for the trio of kits was completed. The templates on google docs were created too. The super bright lights kit instructions ranges 16 steps, onto 10 pages. Operator interface kit ranges 31 steps onto 12 pages. Wheel / motor kit ranges 16 steps onto 7 pages.
When creating the templates from the outline into google docs, we were almost done then realised that we were listing out each step as a page, instead of vice versa. It didn’t take long to fix. There was enough time to start on the super bright lights kit instructions, by adding the images.
Adding an image takes quite a bit of manual input:
- select finder
- highlight image file
- drag onto google doc, enter
- back to finder, enter, copy file name
- back to google doc, in the right table cell, enter, paste file name
For the number of images we will be needing to add, it’s likely this is not going to be an approach that will be friendly on time. There could be ways of automating this – a simple python script could output the html for a table given the number range of images.
This would meen the first drafts would be on wordpress rather than google docs. It might make it more tricky for beta testers to directly add their feedback. Maybe if we included a numbering system for each step, then that would at least help for indexing the feedback to the steps? If we do skip the google docs then that meens we’re already formatting the content in its final medium, which might be beneficial to figure out.
The next step will be to set up some example formatting tests on the website, and see if html into the editor will turn into wysiwyg editor. The wysiwyg editor will be important in the future for editors to update it. In terms of making progress on the instruction written descriptions, it’s easier to do when looking at the images in sequence. This makes it better to understand if the order needs to be changed, or if something can be deleted. So getting this new step figured out will be first. The brain kit will be a good candidate to try this with since all the written descriptions are complete.